::Henley:: What I'm Loving!

One of our friends is pregnant and when I was pregnant, I got some really great advice and tips from some friends that are new moms. I thought I'd pass this gift along to her because I remember being so overwhelmed and their advice helped me so much.

Since there are tons of prego's out there right now, I thought I'd just share what I sent to her in case any of you are looking for suggestions too!

My Favorites and Tips & Tricks:

Rock n' Play: This is a sleeper that you can move around the house. Up until this week, Henley wouldn't sleep anywhere but here. It's at an incline so she loved it if she had any gas or reflux. She hates being flat on her back so this helps immensely. Plus I can move it all around the house and it fits perfectly by my bed.

Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets: These are bigger than receiving blankets so she doesn't kick her feet out of them and they are made from a really light material, muslin I think, so its not too hot or suffocating which will be nice when it gets hotter. Target sells some that are just Aden and they are the same material (which is great) but they are a smidge smaller, just fyi.

Snuza: This is a baby breathing monitor that clips on their diaper and beeps if they stop breathing. This is a good thing for peace of mind with SIDS. I got it as a gift, not sure if Babies r us sells it. There is also a monitor like this that lays under the crib mattress call the Angle Care. This one has a receiver and beeps if it doesn't sense movement. I like the Snuza better since she can have it clipped on her diaper in the pack n' play, the rock n' play, or even in bed with us. (I never thought I'd be one to sleep with her but sometimes if she'll sleep with me but no where else, I'll take it).

Lily Pads: If you are breastfeeding, these are great. Instead of using pads that catch whatever you leak, these prevent leaking. I haven't worn mine out yet but they are really comfortable and my friend loves them.

Wubbanub Pacifier: Search this on Amazon, there are tons of different animals. At first when I gave her a paci, she would spit it out and it would fall down in her seat or fall away from her. With this, if she spits out the paci, it stays right near her and she is able to get it back in her mouth most of the time, plus it's SO adorable!

All of the Aveeno baby stuff is amazing (lotion and bath washes). Desitin diaper rash medicine works great but it smells like fish (there is cod liver oil in it). Since I discovered that, we have been using Burt Bee's as a barrier cream when she has diaper rash since it has zinc oxide in it. For everyday use, we have been using Earth Mama Angle Baby Bottom Balm and I absolutely love it, plus it's cloth diaper friends---bonus!

Puj Tub: This is nice because it's made from a soft material and it stores flat, unlike most tubs. I really love this one. Fits perfectly in my sink and she loves it.

When you register for a swing, make sure it has a plug and not just batteries.

Buy Gripe Water and Gas Drops: The minute she gets hiccups we give her a little Gripe Water (way less than the package recommends for a dosage) and they stop immediately. She gets them a lot and they wake her up---no good! Also the gas drops are pretty quick at calming her if she's having tummy troubles.

Wipe Warmer: Some say this is a complete waste but if we use cold wipes on her in the middle of the night she wakes right up, the warmer we use is for cloth wipes but the same company has one for normal disposable wipes also. Love this.

We have the Skip Hop Bento diaper bag and really love it. There are tons of great bags out there, this is just a side note.

For carriers, I got the Moby Wrap which has tons of great reviews. When I get it wrapped correctly, she loves it but its difficult to wrap and takes a while. By the time she was fussing and I got it wrapped, she was in full on screaming mode. Plus I wasn't confident I could wrap it well enough to keep her safe. I just ordered the Moby Go which is brand new and their version of the Bjorn, not sure how it is just yet. We got the Bjorn as a hand-me-down from a friend but it places all of the weight on your shoulder and starts hurting your back after a while, plus I've heard it can cause hip displaysia in the babies since their legs hang, their legs should be supported all of the way to the knees. I've had a bunch of my friends really love the Ergo Carrier and it can be used from birth (with an infant insert) to like 45 lbs.

Lanolin: Get this, get a few of these! I had no idea that when I breastfed, even if she has the best latch ever, that my nipples would hurt. They hurt SO bad for 2 weeks that I dreaded feeding her and this lanolin was the best stuff. I put it on after every time she nursed and it helped heal any cracks or pains. I'm telling you this because I was blindsided lol. I always heard it shouldn't hurt if you are doing it right----not! :-)

We have the Baby Jogger City Micro (Target's version of the City Mini) and we really love it. We ordered the car seat adapter for it and our Maxi Cosi Mico Car Seat fits perfectly.

Of course get a boppy pillow, this frees up your hands while nursing and she lays on it on the couch next to me sometimes.

Make sure to get a play gym for the floor. At about 4 weeks she started doing tummy time and really loving it, plus it gives you are moment to breathe and not hold her continuously.

Baby Bargains is a great reference for checking safety ratings of the big purchases. Also don't read What to Expect---they use scare tactics. One of the best resources for me was thebump.com. They have message boards by month of your due date so everyone on there is going through the same things. I still go on there for questions for her now that she's here. I highly recommend that.

These are just my thoughts and opinions and things I have learned in the short six weeks of being a mom. I'm sure I'll look back at these soon and have learned new and better things that work but for now this is what I love.

Any of you agree or disagree? Anything to add? Thanks for stopping by!!

Mere :-)